On this page we will help you define the field of Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) in business. We will do this by reviewing the history of IDT in business. Then we will also show some of the differences between higher education and business training. This will lead into showing how to overcome our natural fears of technology in business training that will be discussed on the next page.
History of Instructional Design and Technology in Business
Since prehistoric time we have had to teach others how to do various jobs. Even though society has become more complex throughout the centuries this requirement has not changed. The kinds of work to be done, the skills needed and the tools to complete them have also changed. In order to keep up with changes in types of work, complexity and amount of jobs, workforce education also had to change. On this page we will look at how and why these changes took place.
Ancient training
In the beginning there was on-the-job training (OJT). This is the earliest type of training known (Sleight, 1993). Information about the job was passed from person to person by speech and action. Before the time of artisans this would have been done inside the tribes from parents to children. An adult, parent or otherwise, would show the child through direct instruction what was needed to survive. At this time in history OJT was a perfect method of training. First most people could not read or write so a system of “show me” type training worked best. Second, the type of work being done was farming, hunting or making crafts, and the tools used where simple. Finally the amount of work being done was only what was needed for survival so only a few people needed to be trained at a time. OJT is still used today. It is one of the most popular types of training because it only takes one person who knows the task and the person who is learning the task. Some of the advantages of this type of training include instant feedback to the learner on job performance. Because the learner is actually performing the job while learning there is no need for transferability of learning. Finally there is little to no expense associated with the training because there is no special equipment needed other than what is used on the job.
As society crew and tools and jobs became more complex parents could not teach their children everything. Some children would be sent to master craftsmen to become their apprentices. These master craftsmen where considered experts in their craft and in exchange for work they would teach these children their craft. At this time artisans produced their wares in relatively small quantities that only met their demands. Because the skills where more specialized and the work more complex most apprenticeships lasted longer than OJT, frequently for years. Today the Unites States continues to utilize the Apprentice Program, which according to Patterson (1942) is: ...essentially a program of training beginners in the skilled trades, and that by an all-round skilled trade is meant one that takes at least two years to learn. It does not, properly speaking, apply to specialized one- or two-machine jobs...He [the successful apprentice] can adapt himself to different types of machines, and while he might not at first be quite so productive, he soon becomes proficient. Furthermore, he is not limited in the range of his adaptability. It is, then, to this latter all-round type of work that the term apprenticeship properly applies...an apprentice is not the same as a learner.' The latter term applies in connection with occupations which, in the opinion of the industry concerned, require a relatively short time to learn (pp. 136-137). In modern apprenticeships both the master and apprentice are protected by a set of principles that define the type of work to done, how training is to be completed, how long the apprenticeship is to last and under what conditions it is to be carried out. (Patterson, 1942, pp. 138-147)
Industrial Revolution
OJT and apprenticeship stayed the common types of training until the 1800’s and the beginning of the industrial revolution. Companies found that the apprentice system was inadequate for the number of workers they needed. Also by that time classrooms where were education took place so many companies adopted this method. With machines now mass producing different parts companies needed more workers to put these parts together. Companies would create classrooms to teach the new workers what was needed to complete their job. Unlike OJT, one-on-one, or apprentice, one-to-few, the classroom allowed one instructor to show many people how to do a job. Anyone who has worked in a classroom will tell you that it is not without its drawbacks. Since you are teaching to a group of students you have to teach to average or middle student. This means that the fast student is held back and the slow student me be dragged along before he is ready. Also since most classrooms are away from the job site the workers will have to remember what they have learned when they get to the job site. To help negate these down falls some companies would actually create a mini production line. Here students could be put on an actual production line very similar to the one they would be working on. With this type of training students did not need to transfer skills from the classroom to the job site. Also the risk of accidents was lessened because new workers where already familiar with the equipment when they go to the work location. However all these advantages did not come without a price. Companies had to pay maintenance and upkeep fees on equipment that was not being used for production.
World Wars
The next big change in IDT came in 1917 with Charles R. Allen’s Show, Tell, Do, Check training model (Sleight, 1993). This was used to help increase ship production during World War I. Even though Allen’s principles where used in industry no formal method of systematic instruction appeared until World War II. During World War II the National Defense Advisory Commission was created and developed a systematic on-the-job training method called Job Instruction Training (JIT). JIT consisted of four steps:
Prepare the learner, explain what the job is and explain the importance.
Give step by step explanation of job
Have learner perform under supervision
Follow-up and provide feedback.
This is also the same time when technology became a large tool used in training. The military and industry needed an effective and quick way to provide training to their personnel. One of the easiest was by using motion pictures which now had sound with it. Schools, Industry and the Military commissioned film companies like “Vocational Guidance films Inc.” and even “Walt Disney” to create short 10 – 30 minute films for training films that covered everything from How to fly a B-29 to telephone courtesy. After the War Industry really picked up on providing individualized training with movies then testing to allow people to re-enter the workforce. The advantages to this type of training are that the learner goes at his own pace and is free to make mistakes and correct them. It also reduces the amount of time needed to do the job. As with everything there are drawbacks also. One of the major drawbacks is the price. It requires skilled people to create the material and analyze the subject matter.
20th Century and beyond
Even now IDT is changing on a day to day basis. We have seen the motion pictures of the 1940 are turned into videos that can be watched over the internet, anytime almost anywhere. With almost every person having a cell phone there is now a push for M-Learning (we will be looking at this later). Computers provide entry level training (good and bad) to corporate employees. The problems stay the same though. Companies want even more bang for their buck. So the question is what the next step is. Is it better technology, better training, or a combination of the two? These are some of the questions we will try to answer in this handbook.
Defining the Field
What is Instructional Design and Technology in business?
As you have seen the history of IDT in business is almost as long as history itself. However the definition of IDT is a rather new thing. It was not until the 1963 that the first definition of the field came to be (Reiser, 2012). However as I showed with the history of IDT as things became more complex so did the training, this is also true for the definition of the IDT field. At the time the definition focused more on the design of the message of learning and less on the media or technology used for learning. As times changed and technology became more complex, the definition also changed to match the needs of the field, until we have our current definition from Reiser (2012): The field of instructional design and technology (also known as instructional technology) encompasses the analysis of learning and performance problems, and the design, development, implementation, evaluation and management of instructional and non-instructional processes and resources intended to improve learning and performance in a variety of settings, particularly educational institutions and that workplace. We will further limit this to just the business or industry application of this ever growing and expanding field.
Human Performance Improvement
Again this is not a new concept but one that has come further into the light as companies do more with less. The mission of Human Performance Improvement (HPI) is to achieve, through people, increasingly successful accomplishments, directly tied to organizational goals, that are valued by all stakeholders, including those who perform, their managers, their peers, the organization as a whole, shareholders, customers, regulatory agencies and even society(Reiser, 2012). Basically the purpose of HPI is help companies find the gaps that are present in each system and close them. This can be done by various means, from new / better equipment to providing training. As companies have advanced their traditional training departments have taken on this role of HPI. They no longer just wait to be told what needs to be trained but now look at those areas that are not meeting company standards to see what can be done to increase their productivity and make recommendations accordingly. When their finds point out a lack of proper training they then move back into the IDT role and create the required training to help close the gap. However HPI is not limited to traditional training as most training departments where, which allows them maximize training while minimizing costs.
Terms and definitions
IDT: Instructional Design and Technology
OJT: On-The-Job Training
= References=
Patterson, W. O. (1942). Apprenticeship priciples for personnel managers. In A. E. Dodds, & J. O. Rice, How to Train Workers for War Industries (pp. 136- 137).New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers.
Reiser, R. A. (2012). What field did you say you where in? In R. A. Reiser, & J. V. Dempsey, Treands and issues in instructional design and technology (pp. 1-7). Boston: Pearson Education.
Sleight, D. A. (1993, December). A Developmental History of Training in the United States and Europe. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from https://www.msu.edu/~sleightd/trainhst.html
History of Instructional Design and Technology in Business
Since prehistoric time we have had to teach others how to do various jobs. Even though society has become more complex throughout the centuries this requirement has not changed. The kinds of work to be done, the skills needed and the tools to complete them have also changed. In order to keep up with changes in types of work, complexity and amount of jobs, workforce education also had to change. On this page we will look at how and why these changes took place.
Ancient training
In the beginning there was on-the-job training (OJT). This is the earliest type of training known (Sleight, 1993). Information about the job was passed from person to person byAt this time in history OJT was a perfect method of training. First most people could not read or write so a system of “show me” type training worked best. Second, the type of work being done was farming, hunting or making crafts, and the tools used where simple. Finally the amount of work being done was only what was needed for survival so only a few people needed to be trained at a time.
OJT is still used today. It is one of the most popular types of training because it only takes one person who knows the task and the person who is learning the task. Some of the advantages of this type of training include instant feedback to the learner on job performance. Because the learner is actually performing the job while learning there is no need for transferability of learning. Finally there is little to no expense associated with the training because there is no special equipment needed other than what is used on the job.
As society crew and tools and jobs became more complex parents could not teach their children everything. Some children would be sent to master craftsmen to become their
Today the Unites States continues to utilize the Apprentice Program, which according to Patterson (1942) is:
...essentially a program of training beginners in the skilled trades, and that by an all-round skilled trade is meant one that takes at least two years to learn. It does not, properly speaking, apply to specialized one- or two-machine jobs...He [the successful apprentice] can adapt himself to different types of machines, and while he might not at first be quite so productive, he soon becomes proficient. Furthermore, he is not limited in the range of his adaptability. It is, then, to this latter all-round type of work that the term apprenticeship properly applies...an apprentice is not the same as a learner.' The latter term applies in connection with occupations which, in the opinion of the industry concerned, require a relatively short time to learn (pp. 136-137).
In modern apprenticeships both the master and apprentice are protected by a set of principles that define the type of work to done, how training is to be completed, how long the apprenticeship is to last and under what conditions it is to be carried out. (Patterson, 1942, pp. 138-147)
Industrial Revolution
OJT and apprenticeship stayed the common types of training until the 1800’s and the beginning of the industrial revolution. Companies found that the apprentice system was inadequate for the number of workers they needed. Also by that time classrooms where were education took place so many companies adopted this method. With machines nowAnyone who has worked in a classroom will tell you that it is not without its drawbacks. Since you are teaching to a group of students you have to teach to average or middle student. This means that the fast student is held back and the slow student me be dragged along before he is ready. Also since most classrooms are away from the job site the workers will have to remember what they have learned when they get to the job site.
To help negate these down falls some companies would actually create a mini production line. Here students could be put on an actual production line very similar to the one they would be working on. With this type of training students did not need to transfer skills from the classroom to the job site. Also the risk of accidents was lessened because new workers where already familiar with the equipment when they go to the work location. However all these advantages did not come without a price. Companies had to pay maintenance and upkeep fees on equipment that was not being used for production.
World Wars
The next big change in IDT came in 1917 with Charles R. Allen’s Show, Tell, Do, Check training model (Sleight, 1993). This was used to help increase ship production during World War I. Even though Allen’s principles where used in industry no formal method of systematic instruction appeared until World War II.During World War II the National Defense Advisory Commission was created and developed a systematic on-the-job training method called Job Instruction Training (JIT). JIT consisted of four steps:
This is also the same time when technology became a large tool used in training. The military and industry needed an effective and quick way to provide training to their personnel. One of the easiest was by using motion pictures which now had sound with it. Schools, Industry and the Military commissioned film companies like “Vocational Guidance films Inc.” and even “Walt Disney” to create short 10 – 30 minute films for training films that covered everything from How to fly a B-29 to telephone courtesy.
After the War Industry really picked up on providing individualized training with movies then testing to allow people to re-enter the workforce. The advantages to this type of training are that the learner goes at his own pace and is free to make mistakes and correct them. It also reduces the amount of time needed to do the job.
As with everything there are drawbacks also. One of the major drawbacks is the price. It requires skilled people to create the material and analyze the subject matter.
20th Century and beyond
The problems stay the same though. Companies want even more bang for their buck. So the question is what the next step is. Is it better technology, better training, or a combination of the two? These are some of the questions we will try to answer in this handbook.
Defining the Field
What is Instructional Design and Technology in business?
As you have seen the history of IDT in business is almost as long as history itself. However the definition of IDT is a rather new thing. It was not until the 1963 that the first definition of the field came to be (Reiser, 2012). However as I showed with the history of IDT as things became more complex so did the training, this is also true for the definition of the IDT field. At the time the definition focused more on the design of the message of learning and less on the media or technology used for learning. As times changed and technology became more complex, the definition also changed to match the needs of the field, until we have our current definition from Reiser (2012):The field of instructional design and technology (also known as instructional technology) encompasses the analysis of learning and performance problems, and the design, development, implementation, evaluation and management of instructional and non-instructional processes and resources intended to improve learning and performance in a variety of settings, particularly educational institutions and that workplace.
We will further limit this to just the business or industry application of this ever growing and expanding field.
Human Performance Improvement
Again this is not a new concept but one that has come further into the light as companies do more with less. The mission of Human Performance Improvement (HPI) is to achieve, through people, increasingly successful accomplishments, directly tied to organizational goals, that are valued by all stakeholders, including those who perform, their managers, their peers, the organization as a whole, shareholders, customers, regulatory agencies and even society(Reiser, 2012). Basically the purpose of HPI is help companies find the gaps that are present in each system and close them. This can be done by various means, from new / better equipment to providing training.
As companies have advanced their traditional training departments have taken on this role of HPI. They no longer just wait to be told what needs to be trained but now look at those areas that are not meeting company standards to see what can be done to increase their productivity and make recommendations accordingly. When their finds point out a lack of proper training they then move back into the IDT role and create the required training to help close the gap. However HPI is not limited to traditional training as most training departments where, which allows them maximize training while minimizing costs.
Terms and definitions
=
References=
Patterson, W. O. (1942). Apprenticeship priciples for personnel managers. In A. E. Dodds, & J. O. Rice, How to Train Workers for War Industries (pp. 136- 137).New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers.
Reiser, R. A. (2012). What field did you say you where in? In R. A. Reiser, & J. V. Dempsey, Treands and issues in instructional design and technology (pp. 1-7). Boston: Pearson Education.
Sleight, D. A. (1993, December). A Developmental History of Training in the United States and Europe. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from https://www.msu.edu/~sleightd/trainhst.html
Page Author: John Carroll